“Even with that sprawl of humanity, New York can be lived as a small town, familiar and compact.”

— “Immigrants Are Not the Enemy, They Are Us,” by Jim Dwyer, The New York Times, November 2, 2017

*****************************************************

So true. I was walking around the City the day before yesterday and had just this feeling. With the exception of a very few neighborhoods, one being Times Square, one can amble about the City and feel that one is in a cozy neighborhood where all are welcome, everything is accessible to you, business establishments are inviting and customer friendly, and people are laid back. (Besides being friendly; one wouldn’t expect this in a big city which is supposed to be cold and impersonal and full of Sammy Glick types, but it’s true.)

I was on Amsterdam Avenue in the West 70’s; it was a sunny day. People were strolling about leisurely or chatting in local pubs and restaurants. There was an undeniable air of tranquility and an unhurried pace which seemed to prevail. I made my way down Broadway to Columbus Circle and then to Carnegie Hall at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue and stood there, first talking to a friend on a cell phone and then studying the advertisements for upcoming concerts as strollers passed by. One would have thought one was on Main Street in Smallville, USA.

— Roger W. Smith

   November 3, 2017

*****************************************************

Note: Sammy Glick is the main character in Budd Schulberg’s novel What Makes Sammy Run?